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Presented by Lotus at the Paris Motor Show together with the Elan, Elite, Elise and Eterne concept cars, the Esprit is the most anticipated and awaited model of the British carmaker.
Inspired by Lotus’ core values of "performance through lightweight", the new Esprit has an aggressive design with low and wide proportions, that echoes its performance with strong lines throughout the sleek body.
The exterior design adopts the new design DNA, made of precise lines with a shark-shaped front end, sculpted side surfaces and a rear end characterized by the grey/black central section, which includes rear fascia with the tail lights, the license plate, the diamond-shaped exhaust pipes and carbon fiber diffuser.
The 2-seater interior is characterized by dark tones of the leather, fabric and carbon fiber materials, contrasted by the aluminum trims.
The surfaces adopt a precise and geometric style
that reflects the exterior design language. An example is the steering wheel, which showcases an original hexagonal-like shape.
The new Esprit has a total weight of 1,450 kg and is powered by a 5.0 liter V8 engine, that delivers up to 620 PS and is mated to a 7 speed dual clutch transmission and rear-wheel drive system.
The main performance figures are a 0-100 km/h time of 3.4 seconds, a top speed of 330 km/h and CO2 emissions of 250 g/km.
The powertrain will be available with an optional hybrid system equipped with KERS. The new Lotus Esprit will go on sale in spring 2013, with prices starting from about £103,000 / $175,000.
(Source: Lotus)
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